MMSU med students put up ‘blood bank for every Juan’

By Reynaldo Andres

Contributor

Batac CITY—A voluntary blood donation drive is being promoted among medical students in Ilocos Norte to ensure adequate blood supply for accident victims, people needing surgery, and those suffering from certain diseases, as well as for medical research.

With this, the state-run Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), College of Medicine partnered with the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in this city plans to have its own blood bank.

As of this posting, around 80 bags of blood intended for MMSU constituents and their relatives were initially deposited at the blood bank, courtesy of a recent bloodletting activity, participated in by medical students and other stakeholders.

“Since our population here at our college is relatively small, we decided to extend this activity for the undergraduate students, faculty members, and the community residents of Batac City,” said Jamie Nalupta, head of the MMSU Blood Drive Project.

Ms. Nalupta said blood donors were those from age 16 to 65 years, weighed at least 50 kilograms, passed the physical and health history requirements, have blood pressure between 90/60 mmHg and 140/100 mmHg, and had six to eight hours of sleep prior to donation.

She assured those who participated in the activity would be easier for them, and their family members to get blood in future emergency cases regardless of any blood type.

“As implemented for the first time, we hope that this activity will be sustained by the next medical students in the future,” she said.

The activity, dubbed “Juan Blood, Juan Life 2019,” was conducted at the MMSU College of Medicine (COM) on March 29, 2019. This was organized by the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges-Student Network (APMC-SN) of the MMSU Medical Students Association, and MMSU Blood Drive Committee.

Before flying back to Calgary in Alberta, Canada on March 31, 2019, Sharon Aliga-Corpuz and husband Quarry from Brgy. Baay also in this city made it a point to donate blood which coincided with the blood donation activity of the medical students.

“Sure, we can make a difference in someone else’s life,” the couple said after blood were extracted from them.

Studies show that blood donation helps promote weight loss, reduces blood cholesterol, maintains a healthy heart, improves emotional well-being, stimulate blood cell production, and maintains optimal iron levels.

The APMC-SN explained the donated blood is processed into sub-components and packages as one unit.

Blood types are first established and tested for infectious diseases in the laboratory and units suitable for transfusions are labeled and stored. (With a report from Leilanie G. Adriano)